Hundreds protest to support Sultan

Hundreds protest to support Sultan

YOGYAKARTA: Hundreds of people, including becak (pedicab)
drivers, street vendors, housewives, transvestites, students, and
lawyers, demonstrated yesterday in a show of support for the
popular traditional monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X to become
the province's next governor.

Gathering outside the provincial legislature, they castigated
the legislators for failing to formally propose a single
candidate for the governorship.

They also demanded that the legislature fight to preserve the
special status accorded the ancient province. Legislator Subagyo
Waryadi of the Armed Forces faction -- which supports Sri
Sultan's candidacy -- met the protesters.

They criticized the legislators whose deliberations on the
subject had dragged on since last month.

Separately, Sri Sultan urged the legislators to make haste
lest they risk inciting the people's wrath.

The dominant Golkar faction and the Armed Forces faction have
agreed to nominate Sri Sultan for governor, but the United
Development Party has nominated its local chairman, Alfian
Darmawan.

The legislature has yet to announce which candidates it is
putting forward to the central government. There has been no
explanation for the delay. (23/44)